{"id":9261,"date":"2025-06-09T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=9261"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:31:41","slug":"wits-university-study-breast-cancer-markers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wits-university-study-breast-cancer-markers\/","title":{"rendered":"Wits University Study Reveals Key Genetic Breast Cancer Markers in Black Women"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A groundbreaking study by Wits University has identified two new genetic variants linked to breast cancer in Black South African women. This research, published in <em>Nature Communications<\/em>, marks the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of breast cancer conducted on African women living on the continent. The findings significantly advance the understanding of breast cancer genetics within African populations. Genomic research has historically underrepresented these populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CHECK OUT:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/gauteng-hospitals-undergo-tech-overhaul\/\">Gauteng Hospitals Undergo Tech Overhaul to Speed Up Diagnostic Scans<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pioneering-research-at-sbimb\">Pioneering Research at SBIMB<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience (SBIMB) at Wits University conducted the study. By performing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wits.ac.za\/news\/latest-news\/research-news\/2025\/2025-05\/south-african-study-identifies-two-new-breast-cancer-genes-in-black-women.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a genome-wide association study<\/a> (GWAS), researchers scanned the DNA of numerous individuals. This was done to pinpoint genetic differences associated with breast cancer. This method allowed them to identify consistent genetic patterns in Black South African women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-4264453813\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-genetic-variants-identified\">Key Genetic Variants Identified<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The SBIMB researchers discovered genetic signals near two genes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>RAB27A:<\/strong> A member of the RAS oncogene family, known for its role in cell growth and tumorigenesis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>USP22:<\/strong> A gene highly active in breast cancer cells and associated with poor health prognosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These genes had not previously been linked to breast cancer. This marks an important advance in understanding the disease\u2019s genetic basis in African ancestry populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/the-top-5-best-universities-in-gauteng-for-2025\/\">The Top 5 Best Universities in Gauteng for 2025<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-significance-of-the-findings\">Significance of the Findings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This study is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sabcnews.com\/sabcnews\/1041333-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">significant<\/a> because it addresses a critical gap in breast cancer genetics research. Historically, most studies have focused on European and Asian populations, with limited research on African women. The Wits University study helps to correct this imbalance by providing insights specific to women of African ancestry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lead author Dr. Mahtaab Hayat emphasized that these findings underscore the limitations of relying on data from predominantly European populations to understand complex diseases. She called for increased investment in genomic research rooted in African contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cancer Study | Wits University study shows new breast cancer genes in black women\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vBwhZOF0Q9E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vBwhZOF0Q9E?si=RzVyQyxB6z497GNs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-2684485868\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-implications-for-risk-prediction-and-treatment\">Implications for Risk Prediction and Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The study also found that existing tools for estimating lifetime cancer risk based on DNA, known as polygenic risk scores (PRS), performed poorly in distinguishing South African women with breast cancer from those without. Most PRSs were developed in European populations. This <a href=\"https:\/\/bioengineer.org\/south-african-study-discovers-two-novel-breast-cancer-genes-in-black-women\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">highlights<\/a> the urgent need for ancestry-specific tools in cancer risk prediction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Jean-Tristan Brandenburg, another lead author, noted that the inaccuracy of existing PRSs in African populations underscores the need for tools tailored to specific ancestries. This is crucial to improve cancer risk prediction and treatment strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-need-for-continued-research\">The Need for Continued Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers stress <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11997036\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the importance<\/a> of continued investment in genomic research within African populations. By expanding the scale and depth of these studies, scientists can uncover additional unique markers and pathways. This can ultimately lead to more effective and equitable cancer interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Wits University study represents a major step forward in understanding the genetic underpinnings of breast cancer in Black women. By identifying novel genetic variants and highlighting the limitations of existing risk prediction tools, this research paves the way for more targeted and effective strategies for breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in African populations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A groundbreaking study by Wits University has identified two new genetic variants linked to breast cancer in Black South African women. This research, published in Nature Communications, marks the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of breast cancer conducted on African women living on the continent. The findings significantly advance the understanding of breast cancer genetics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":9273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"A groundbreaking study by Wits University has identified two new genetic variants linked to breast cancer in Black South African women. This research,...","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[341,2860,474],"class_list":{"0":"post-9261","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education","8":"tag-south-africa","9":"tag-university-research","10":"tag-wits-university"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9261","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9278,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9261\/revisions\/9278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}